Serving tray



J. L. MOHUN SERVINGQTRAY May 10,1949.

'2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 9, 1946 J. L. MOHUN May 10, 1949.

SERVING TRAY Filed Sept. 9, 1946 Patented May 10, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SERVING TRAY John L. Mohun, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 9, 1946, Serial No. 695,649

3 5 Claims. 1

My invention, which pertains to serving trays, has among its important objects the provision of a combination serving tray which includes an ash receiver and glass support with improved means for detachably interlocking the component parts, snuiiing cigars and cigarettes, and which may be economically manufactured.

Broadly speaking I attain these and other objects by securing a cylindrical retainer in the center of a dished tray. A perforated ring-shaped glass or bottle rest is fitted around the retainer and into the tray, being spaced upwardly from the bottom of the tray by spring clips. An ash receiver disposed within the retainer is urged upwardly by a resilient arch formed in the base of the tray and so acts against a cover-plate held to the retainer by a bayonet lock and studs to lock the cover removably to the retainer. Since the cover-plate also extends downwardly around the retainer and into contact with the upper surface of the glass rest, it may be seen that the glass rest is also resiliently locked in place but at the same time may be conveniently removed for cleaning.

Because of the resilient nature of the interlocking relationship between the parts, the possibility of accidental removal or excessive movement between the members'is eliminated as is the necessity for forming the parts to relatively close tolerances. The cover-plate may be provided with my novel match holder, or a pipe reamer, and with a series of openings each converging to a point, the edges of such openings being relatively sharp to assist in clipping the ignited end of a cigar or cigarette butt.

For a more detailed description, reference is made to the following specification and drawings in which Figure 1 is a top view of my device;

Figure 2 is a side view;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section;

Figure 4 is a partially sectioned side view of a portion of my device;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of my novel match holder; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a spring clip.

As best seen in Figures 1 and 3, a tray ||l may be drawn from sheet metal, forming a relatively fiat bottom having a centrally disposed upwardly extending resilient arch 2. The outer portion of the bottom curves upwardly and outwardly as at |3 to a vertical side wall l4 having a beaded edge IS. The tray may be attached to a suitable stand or may be provided with spaced pads l5 for. table use. A cylindrical re- 2 tainer l! is secured to the bottom around the arch l2 by angle clips |8 riveted to the retainer l7 and the bottom H, and may in addition be welded or otherwise sealed to form a watertight joint.

Legs IQ of the clips l8 extend outwardly from the retainer l! to resiliently support the inner edge of a glass rest 2|. The glass rest 2| is a disk of stainless steel, Bakelite, or other suitable noncorrosive incombustible material having a central aperture slightly larger than the diameter of the support ll. The outer edge of the glass rest 2| rests on the curved portion l3 of the tray IE3 and is slotted as at 22 to clear inwardly extending lugs 23 attached to the side walls l3. Drain holes 24 extend through the rest 2|. For convenient removal, finger holes 26 are also provided in the rest 2| to facilitate rotation and alignment of the slots 22 with lugs 23. A cup-shaped receiver 27 of metal, glass, plastic, or other suitable material, is formed to fit within the retainer I! in contact with the arch |2 which normally resiliently supports the upper edge of the receiver 27 a short distance above the upper edge of the retainer l'l. Inwardly extending lugs 25 may be secured to the inner surface of the receiver 27 to assist in removal. A cover-plate, generally designated 28, is telescoped over the retainer I7 and the receiver 27 and is provided with an outwardly extending edge flange 29 disposed to engage the upper surface of the glass rest 2|. Headed studs 3| extend outwardly from the retainer I! to engage T-shaped slots 32 having a vertical section 33 and a horizontal section 3-4 formed in the cover-plate 28 adjacent the flange 29. When first applied, the inner surface of the cover-plate 28 rests on the upper edge of the receiver 27, and as the cover-plate 28 is pressed downwardly by the hand, the receiver 27 flexes the resilient arch I2 and the studs 3| pass through the vertical section 33 of the slots 32. Rotation of the cover-plate 28 then engages the horizontal section 34 of the slots 32 with the studs 3| locking the cover-plate in place, the flange 29 in this process engages the upper surface of the glass rest 2|, forcing it downwardly against the resilient legs l9 of the clips l8 thus locking the glass rest 2| in position.

A central portion 36 of the cover-plate 28 within the receiver 21 is dished downwardly and provided with a plurality of openings 37 disposed radially about a center portion 38 and communicating with receiver 21, The openings 31 may suit ably be curved at their outer ends with substantially straight sides converging toa point 39 near the center 38 defining a shape which will conveniently receive the bowl of a pipe. The outermost portions of the opening 31 may be provided with downwardly extending flanges 4| but the edges adjacent the points 39 are not flanged and are relatively sharp in order to clip the ignited ends of a cigar or cigarette from the butt. If desired, serrations 42 may be formed around the points 39 to assist in; the-clippingfic'tibnf Semicylindricarci'gar rests 43 maybe attached to the cover-plate 28 at convenient locations around the central portion 36.

to the center 38, according to the desires ofthe user. The pipe reamer 44, which is tapered; may be formed by welding together .two channelimembers 41 having backs 48 and Haring'side" wane 49 attached to a suitable base 46 comprises a channel -shaped member having a web=52and fiangedside walls. 53 adapted to receive=the.striking-. endoi a book oi matches. One of the: walls '53 isprovided with-an elongated openingi l. to: expose the strikingsurface of a match base. A base 58 may be attached toithe Web- Hand-threadedto receive a bolt adapted toextend through aniopening 51 in the center 38-.

From the foregoingdescriptionit maybe seen that-the glass rest 2i provides a convenient sup.- port. for glasses-from which'overfiowor conden- Satecan drainthrough the holes '24 into the. tray iii."thereby.v preventing damage to furniture and, in addition, will prevent forgotten burning cigarettesfrom fallingfrom-the rest 43 onto a-table orar-ug.

Because of:- the unique'locking arrangement of the component parts of 'my'. device, accidental removal or separation is prevented even though the tray. is dropped, but detachment for. cleaning is. easily accomplished.- Furthermore; because: of

the resilient'natureof the lochobjectionable rat- Either a pipe reamer 44 or a match holder 46 may be attached My match holder It is not essential that the central portion of I my servi'n'gtr ay be used as anashreceptacle. For

thusmakin'g available aconvenientcontainer for nuts; candy, or. the like.

I "recognize that? in. view of theforegoing descripti'on various changes and modificationswvill occur t'o'those skilled'inthe art; for example; the resilient'arch l2"formed.in-the tray i it may be e1iminat'ed"and"the bottomot the receiver 21 arched to provide the. requisite: resilient action; or springsdnte'rposed between. the receiver ZTHa-nd the" bottom I I of the tray HI may. be. substituted; Similarly, .otli'errests andsupportscan be: em-' plo ye'dtolockthe glass rest 2! i in. place. without departing from 'the fundamentals: of. the "inter,- locking system herein described I thereforedo notwi'sh to limit myself to the: detailsherein dee scribed'except' in so farv as defined by-theappended claims."

1'. A- serving tray comprising a tray havi-ng; ac'entrally disposed arch, a cylindricall' retaining; means extendingupwardiy'from the tray around the arch, a receiver in the retaining means resting on said arch, a glass rest around the receiver within the tray, a cover-plate extending over the receiver and downwardly into engagement with said rest, resilient means for spacing the rest from the bottom of the tray, and means for removably securing the cover-plate to the retaining means.

2. A serving tray including a tray, a cylindrical retainer attached to the-tray, a glass rest within 'the-traya'n'd around the'retainen'means for resiliently supporting the glass rest above the bottom of the tray, a receiver in the retainer, resilient means for normally supporting the rim of the receiver slightly above the rim of the retainer, studs -fixed=to the retainer, and a cover-plate telescoped over the receiver and retainer and engaging the g1assfrest,'the cover-plate having slots disposed tozen'ga'gethe studs for locking the cover-plate in position.

3; Awserving. tray including .a tray;v a" cylindrical retainer attached to-the tray, a glass-rest within thetray andaroundthe-retainer, means for resiliently supporting theglass restabove'the bottom of. the-tray, a receiver in'the retainer, resilient means for normally:supporting the rim of the receiver slightly-abovethe rimof the-retainer, studsfixedto the retainer; andacyl-indric'alcoverplatetelescoped over thereceiver and retainer andengaging the glass rest, the cylindrical coverplate" having" slots disposedto lockingly engage thestudsonly when: the telescoped portion of said. cover-plate-is in compressing engagement with the glass rest and receiver.

4. Aservingtray includinga tray; a retainer extending upwardly fromthe traypresilient means for normally supporting the rim: of the. receiver slightly above the' rim 0f". the retainer,v a glass restQ-with-in the tray andaround the retainer, means. for resiliently supporting; the "glass" rest above the bottom of the tray-,studs:secured:tot=the retainer, and a cover plat'e telescoped over the receiver and retainer, thetelescopedportion' of said cover-plate being sufliciently extensive'to compressing-1y engage said'glass rest,and*having slots therein so disposed with respect to theend ofTthecover-plate as'to lockingly engage said studs only whenthecover-plateis-incompressing en gagement'; with said glass rest.

511' Aser ving-tran includingsastray havings'a, centrally,dispose.da-rch,-a cylindrical retainer attache'dito. the-tray, a glass rest within-the tray and around. the retainer; means for: resiliently supporting: the glass rest above thea bot tom' of th'e tray, a receiver in the retainer'r'estingpn'said arch,,studssecured-to the retainergand a cylindrical'. cover-plate telescoped"-'over' the1 receiver and retainer and engaging the glass rest; said cover-plate having slots disposed to lockingl'yengage with the studs onlyvwhen" the telesc'oped end of the cover-plate.-is-in=compressingenga'gement. withthe glassrest andreceiver:

JOHN L. MOHUN.

REFERENCES CITED The." following references are of record in the filea ofnthispatentzf UNITED STATES? PATENTS Number. Name Date D..l.15 ,058- Twomey May 3051939 D. 1295530 Manaster wnnndu. Sept; 16, 1941' 448,027. Hacker--. MarxlO', 1891 747,227 Robson Dem-'15, 1903 (Other-references on following page) Number Number Numbe Name Date Jiran Nov. 21, 1932 Porter Feb. 27, 1934 Lindsay Apr. 2, 1935 Sussman Apr. 23, 1935 Thayer May 21, 1935 Van Riper Apr. 28, 1936 Gehring et a1 May 6, 1941 Pinkett May 8, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Jan. 3, 1906 

